If you're intimidated by the $1,000 pledge requirement, remember that the thousands of people doing similar rides over the last 5 to 10 years have probably felt the same-and succeeded in meeting their pledge goals. Many, in fact, end up raising hundreds of dollars above their requirement. Keep in mind that in the first two years of Ride for AIDS Chicago (much smaller events), 14 riders raised over $20,000, and most of their individual pledges were $100 or less. 100% of the pledges were returned to the beneficiary.

It may surprise you to know that during 2009, in Illinois alone, $9.4 billion dollars was donated by individuals to different charities. Corporations accounted for less than 5% of all giving and foundations accounted for just over 11%. 84% of the charitable dollars given away in Illinois last year (2009) were given by individuals-like your friends, your family, your boss, and your coworkers. So go on out there and ask them. Keep pledge forms with you everywhere you go. Keep them in your car, at your office, take them to the gym, keep some at home-and make a habit of asking people to support you.

Keep in mind that unlike other rides of this kind, Ride for AIDS Chicago is committed to returning 100% of your pledges to the beneficiaries. We are able to do this by keeping costs down. Your $85 registration fee along with corporate sponsorship dollars cover the expenses of doing the ride.

Although training for the Ride may seem scary enough, raising your pledges may have your knees really knocking. We put this guide together to walk you through the fundraising process and give you some ideas about fundraising.

Start Now
It takes time and dedication to meet your pledge goals. The sooner you begin raising your pledges, the sooner you are finished. Get your first pledge today.

Make a Plan and Think Big!
After reading through this guide, decide what strategies will work best for you. Then set a target date by which you'll have met your pledge goal. In strategizing, think big. Think about someone who could match all of your pledges. Try to get out of a $ 15-per-donor mentality. Think about people you know who can make a substantial pledge to you, and think about a strategy for asking them to do something significant.

Then Strategize
Create a calendar of things that need to be accomplished, such as the following:

Call if you need suggestions, some inspiration, or ideas. We’re here for you. We're also eager to hear about your triumphs. We can answer questions about the pledge form and can help you customize a fundraising letter. We’ll be happy to look over your final product. And we'll help you organize a house party-both strategies are described in detail in this guide.

The Golden Rules of Fundraising

Share the Ride The more genuine excitement you generate about your upcoming adventure, the more people will share in that excitement and start pledging. Tell your story to everyone. Don't fake it — find out what makes you passionate about the ride and share that. Tell them you're doing this with many other riders. Tell them about the money that will be raised for critical AIDS services. Tell them you don't even own a bike, but you're buying one and doing this anyway (if that's true). Engage them with your story, along with the ride story. Then shut up. Let them respond. ("I can't believe you're really doing this!", "Wow, I could never do that!", or "Are you for real?" can be expected.)

Learn About the Ride Beneficiaries
Take the time to learn about what the beneficiaries do, not only so you can speak eloquently about it, but so you yourself will be inspired. People are impressed when you really know where the money is going.

The First Rule of Fundraising
Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask. Ask.

You raise money when you ask for it and you don't raise money when you don't. The more you're out there asking, the more you'll raise. Get out there and ask. If you ask a lot, you'll raise a lot. If you ask a little, you'll raise a little. The more you ask, the better you get at it.

Set yourself a goal of sharing the ride with one person a day or at least five people a week.

The Second Rule of Fundraising
No one ever gave away their last dime.

Don't be worried that you're asking people for too much money. If they can't pledge as much as you've asked for they'll tell you. People are often flattered by being asked to contribute at high levels — it means they're perceived as successful, important members of the community.

Ask for the Right Amount
Don't ask someone for $100 when you know they can give $1,000. Determine when the time and situation are right and ask them for the appropriate amount. If you need tips on approaching a major donor, call us and we'll help. If you're asking for larger amounts, let your potential sponsor know that you're serious. Don't ask them without a lot of thought.

A good rule of thumb is to ask them out for lunch. Tell them you're doing the Ride for AIDS Chicago and you'd like to take them to lunch to talk about it. Your treat. At lunch, let them know your story and why you're doing the ride. When the moment is right, ask. * Charitable giving information provided by American Association of Fundraising Counsel, www.aafrc.org.

This may help you with the ask. Repeat these sentences several times-“So, that's why this is important to me, and I'd like to ask for your help. I'd like you to make a $500 pledge in support of what I'm doing. Will you do that?” Then pause, be quiet, and allow your sponsor to respond. It takes a lot of courage to look someone in the eye and say that. It takes even more courage to be quiet after you've said them. It’s natural to want to follow-up with “If you can't, don't worry, I know that's a lot, I hate to even ask you.” Resist that temptation. Be silent. Give them the space to say yes, because that's probably what will happen if you look them in the eye. Move through your fear, ask and let them answer.

And Remember This...
You are making a commitment. Not everyone rides hundreds of miles and makes the kind of preparations you're making. You're doing something about AIDS. You're putting your money where your mouth is. You're making a big difference. It gives you the right to ask others to do something too. It gives you the right to ask them to make a pledge to you and the event-not an amount that's going to break them, but one that leaves them feeling like they're making a commitment to the fight against AIDS.

Some riders get confused. They begin to think that they're asking for money for themselves. Not true! The money is not going to you; it's going through you to those who desperately need it. Your sponsors are making a commitment to the lives of those affected by AIDS, just like you. Don't lose that focus. In fact, share that focus. You're not asking selfishly-you're giving them the opportunity to help out in the fight against AIDS.

Pledges

Pledge Forms
Pledge forms are available on line at www.rideroraids.org. Make sure your name and ride number are legible, and are on every form. This number allows us to insure pledges are counted properly towards each rider’s goal.

Familiarize yourself with the pledge form. Become an expert on it so you can answer your sponsors’ questions. We created the pledge form to be simple and easy, we hope you find that to be true.

Your sponsors can mail the pledge forms and their method of payment directly to the address on the form or you can collect them and send them in yourself. Each donation must have a completed pledge form attached. That's the most efficient way for us to process and record pledges.

Pledge Letters & Emails

A personalized pledge letter sent to friends, family and acquaintances is an excellent way to launch your pledge campaign. Your letter should be compelling, concise, and engaging.

Expand Your Mailing List
Start your list by writing down every single person you know. Include old neighbors, former associates, family friends, classmates, former classmates, members of clubs, fraternities, sororities, leagues, committees, organizations, alumni groups, etc. It will be easy to make excuses for someone as to why they won't contribute. If you find yourself doing that, step back and allow that person to make their own decision. You'll be surprised who will send in pledges. AIDS has touched all of us.

Be Personal
Let your sponsor know how much you must raise (or your higher personal goal) in order to ride. Share not only the story of the ride but also your personal story. Why are you doing this ride? Talk about the commitment of time and energy that you're putting into preparing for it.

Describe the ride. You can paraphrase from the materials in this packet or from the web site www.rideforaids.org. Include impressive figures-how far you'll be riding, how many will join you, and the projected money the ride will generate for AIDS services. Include significant statistics on the AIDS epidemic, too. Tell sponsors where their contributions are going, and how the money will be used.

Mail Your Letter
Your first letter should go out as soon as possible. If you need help, there's a sample fundraising letter and some greeting card templates available on-line at www.rideforaids.org.

After mailing your first letter you can sit back and watch the pledges roll in, and your commitment should be met within two weeks, right? Well... not exactly. This can be an anxiety-producing realization for many riders. People may not respond immediately to your letter. Realize that it's not about you, it's about human nature. So give them a lot of opportunities.

Make Follow-Up Phone Calls
After you've mailed your letters, it's important to make follow-up phone calls to your potential donors. It lets them know you're serious about what you're doing. They'll respect the courage it took for you to call and it will dramatically improve your fundraising progress and success. In other words, you'll raise a lot more money this way.

Progress Emails
Send your potential sponsors several update emails. Let them know how things are going by sending another two or three emails, spaced one or two months apart. Did your first 50- mile ride? Include that in a follow-up letter. Lost 10 pounds? Include that. Raised $600 so far? Include that. Engage your potential donors in your preparation process. And keep giving them opportunities to join. In fact, you can send update letters to your confirmed sponsors too. They'll be excited by your progress and feel like they're a part of something incredible-they may even decide to give even more as they see your commitment grow stronger. Everyone, in fact, will see just how serious you are about the ride. And then they'll get serious.

House Parties

The easiest way to meet your pledge goal is to host a house party. House parties are profound. A volunteer guest speaker creates a setting that communicates the seriousness of your commitment to the ride, along with a presentation that brings the immediacy of the ride to life. If your friends viewed the ride in black-and-white before your house party, they'll definitely see it in full Cinemascope color after it.

Here's How House Parties Work:
A speaker will come to your party and give a compelling talk about the ride and the beneficiaries. Then, the speaker will do the asking for you. Note: It is not required to have a speaker to do a house party. If you are comfortable talking about the ride, the beneficiaries and HIV/AIDS, there’s no reason you can’t make the presentation yourself.

Fundraising In Your Office

Workplaces are great venues for ride fundraising. Check out these strategies:

Be Visible
Put up a chart showing your progress as you train and raise pledges. You won't have to initiate conversations about the ride-your co-workers will ask first. Display a map of the route and sell portions – $50 an inch.

Spread the Word
Don't limit yourself to the department where you work. Let home offices, district offices and sister offices know what you're doing. You can do this through e-mail, interdepartment memos, faxes, etc., with permission. Make your missives enjoyable or funny with in-house humor. Hold a contest to see which department can raise the most pledges.

Ask Your Company to Sponsor You
Share the ride with your boss and your human resources director. They may decide match your commitment with a corporate donation. Suggest creating a jersey with the company logo.

Double Your Pledges
Many corporations offer matching funds for contributions made by employees. Contact your human resources director who may have paperwork that needs completing.

Thanking Your Sponsors

Thank them. After they pledge, follow up with thank you notes, pictures of your training rides, and your progress in training or raising money, etc. Be sure to invite them to the camp in Lake Geneva or the closing dinner at Chicago. Ask sponsors to sign your ride T-shirt, send monthly progress newsletters. Let them know that their contribution-whatever the amount-is sincerely appreciated.